The SFZC Audio Archive

Serial: SF-12376 Talk by Ryushin Paul Haller at City Center on 2025-10-29 The talk explores the theme of achieving harmony through mindful balance, focusing on the experience of a Zen practitioner engaging with prolonged darkness to explore homeostasis and the interplay between cognition and deeper,...

Serial: SF-12260 Talk by Yyyy Ods Jiryu at City Center on 2025-10-28 The talk emphasizes the importance of fully embracing stillness during zazen by putting aside all mundane responsibilities to access deeper levels of meditation and self-awareness. The speaker references teachings from Tiantai...

Serial: SF-12287 Talk by Yyyy Ods Meiya at City Center on 2025-10-28 The talk explores the concept of making offerings within the Zen practice as a fundamental human need, examining how offering oneself—the body, actions, and presence—in everyday activities transcends the tangible outcomes. It...

Serial: SF-12400 Talk by Dainin Marsha Angus at City Center on 2025-10-25 The primary focus of the talk is on employing Buddhist practices, particularly meditation and stillness, to manage stress and anxiety induced by external turmoil such as political and environmental changes. Emphasis is placed on...

Serial: SF-12372 Talk by Jiryu Rutschman Byler at Green Gulch Farm on 2025-10-19 The talk discusses the nature of freedom and limitation within Zen practice, emphasizing that true freedom is found within the limitations of life rather than escaping them. It explores Suzuki Roshi's teachings about finding...

Serial: SF-12474 Talk by Zenju Earthlyn Manuel Osho at City Center on 2025-10-18 The talk emphasizes the theme of embracing uncertainty to fully experience Zen, drawing on personal anecdotes and the teachings of Dogen Zenji and Suzuki Roshi to illustrate the limitations of preconceived notions and the...

Serial: SF-12389 Talk by Ryushin Paul Haller at City Center on 2025-10-15 The main thesis of the talk explores the concept of unity and spontaneous compassion in Zen practice. The discussion emphasizes how acts of compassion, such as the offering of flower petals, demonstrate the interconnectedness and...

Serial: SF-12407 Talk by Shosan Victoria Austin at City Center on 2025-10-11 The talk focuses on harnessing Zen wisdom to address conflict and change through non-retaliation and loving-kindness practices. By referencing the Dhammapada and Buddha's teachings from the Samagama Sutta, the discussion explores...

Serial: SF-12464 Talk by Shosan Victoria Austin at City Center on 2025-10-11 The lecture discusses applying Zen teachings, particularly non-retaliation, to resolve conflicts peacefully. It examines the Buddha's early teachings, such as those found in the Dhammapada and the Samagama Sutta, to explore how...

Serial: SF-12481 Talk by Shuso Entering Vanessa Able at City Center on 2025-10-08 The talk focuses on the acceptance of leadership roles within a Zen practice community, specifically addressing Vanessa Able's role as Shuso at the City Center in Fall 2025. It explores themes of readiness and humility in...

Serial: SF-12385 Talk by Ryushin Paul Haller at City Center on 2025-10-04 The talk explores how Zen practice, particularly shikantaza, aids in navigating personal and global chaos by fostering presence and authenticity. It examines the notion of "staying true" to one's values and principles,...

Serial: SF-12434 Talk by Chikudo Catherine Spaeth at City Center on 2025-09-27 The talk centers on the significance of Zazen practice in fostering self-realization and understanding Zen precepts. It emphasizes the importance of experiencing emotions authentically during Zazen to transcend self-narratives...

Serial: SF-12459 Talk by Tenmyo at City Center on 2025-09-20 The talk discusses the transformative power of Zen practice, centering on the theme of interconnectedness and the holistic life of the Sangha. It describes a personal journey from depression and self-loss to spiritual enrichment...

Serial: SF-12398 Talk by Shinshu Roberts at City Center on 2025-09-13 The talk explores Dogen's teachings, particularly focusing on the Genjo Koan and the idea of "realization beyond realization," illustrating how Dogen's teachings remain relevant in contemporary practice. These teachings highlight...

Serial: SF-12452 Talk by Shosan Victoria Austin Mary Mocine at City Center on 2025-09-03 The talk primarily discusses the practice and symbolism of Samantabhadra Bodhisattva within the context of Zen practice, highlighting the teachings of wholehearted practice and the Ten Vows of Samantabhadra. Additionally, it...

Serial: SF-12484 Talk by Epp Intro Info Ryushin Paul Haller at City Center on 2025-08-09 The speaker discusses the integration of Zen practice into daily life, drawing from experiences at Tassajara monastery and exploring how the philosophy can enrich everyday activities. Emphasis is placed on experiential learning,...

Serial: SF-12415 Talk by Ryushin Paul Haller at City Center on 2025-07-26 The talk discusses the practice of shikantaza in Zen Buddhism, emphasizing the importance of experiencing the present moment fully and the challenge of maintaining non-reactivity amidst life's uncertainties and discomforts. The...

Serial: SF-07294 07/12/2025, Kiku Christina Lehnherr, dharma talk at City Center. Kiku Christina Lehnherr explores the dharma of living and practicing in a human body. The talk emphasizes the importance of embodiment in understanding and practicing Buddhist teachings, exploring how the human body is central to life experiences and spiritual practice. The discussion highlights the practice of...

Serial: SF-07265 06/22/2025, Eijun Linda Cutts, dharma talk at Green Gulch Farm. As senior dharma teacher Linda Ruth Cutts prepares to move from Green Gulch and SFZC residency after 54 years she brings up the practice of being upright in the... The talk centers on the theme of impermanence and the practice of non-attachment within a dynamic practice environment. Key elements include the Way-Seeking Mind talk, the challenges of letting go when transitioning from Green...

Serial: SF-07269 06/11/2025, Rebecca Li, dharma talk at City Center. Dr. Rebecca Li explains how the practice of Silent Illumination is to actualize the Buddha’s teachings to be free from suffering. The talk focuses on the practice of silent illumination, also known as the practice of "no method," which is grounded in the Buddha's teachings of the Four Noble Truths. The discussion emphasizes recognizing and unlearning...

Serial: SF-09846 Talk by Fu Schroeder Sangha on 2025-06-08 This talk delves into the transformation of consciousness as discussed by Vasubandhu, emphasizing the relationships between the alaya (storehouse consciousness), manas (the mind that personalizes the alaya), and the six sensory...

Serial: SF-07266 06/01/2025, Jiryu Rutschman-Byler, dharma talk at Green Gulch Farm. Abbot Jiryu Rutschman-Byler takes up the theme of “Becoming Yourself,” the title of a new book of talks by Suzuki Roshi, by reflecting on two lines from the book... The talk centers on Suzuki Roshi's theme of "being yourself" as articulated in a forthcoming collection of his teachings from the San Francisco Zen Center. The discussion explores the Zen practice of fully embodying one's true...

Serial: SF-09739 Talk by Fu Schroeder Sangha on 2025-06-01 This talk focuses on the teachings of the Yogacara, or "mind-only" school, particularly the transformation of consciousness as outlined in Vasubandhu's "30 Verses." Emphasis is placed on verses 5, 6, and 7, which delve into the...

Serial: SF-08177 Talk by Jiryu Rutschman Byler at Green Gulch Farm on 2025-05-18 The talk at Green Gulch Farm focuses on the Zen practice of mindfulness, embodied awareness, and the experience of being alive. Emphasis is placed on integrating Zen teachings into daily life by engaging the body, settling the...